


Reaching New Heights

by love_killed_the_superstar



Series: But Beautiful We Three Are [4]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, F/F, Gen, pearlshipping bomb, polypearls bomb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-06
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-06-22 22:19:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15592005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/love_killed_the_superstar/pseuds/love_killed_the_superstar
Summary: 9. No amount of brusqueness could seem to keep Yellow from feeling giddy in Blue’s presence, in a way that she hadn’t used to feel. She wasn’t sure where it had started, but that broomstick ride had certainly triggered the awareness within her that she felt something for Blue, something that far surpassed the friendship they had held onto for over a decade now. And, weirdly enough, it got her thinking more about Pearl. If she was feeling something for Blue, where exactly did that leave Pearl? And did she want to leave Pearl anywhere at all?





	Reaching New Heights

**Author's Note:**

> HI LONG TIME NO SEE!!!  
> I started this series with the last polypearls bomb in 2016. Now I'm continuing their story, but this time in no particular order, because I'm not that organised anymore. This fic takes place at some point in the summer before Yellow's fourth year begins.

Yellow was bored. She had spent the summer away from home, visiting her relatives in Belarus, and while the weather in Minsk had been pleasant and the company of her cousin Vanya was enjoyable, she'd been miserable away from Pearl and Blue. She'd sent three letters over the six weeks, and only received one reply from Blue saying that Pearl's mother had taken her over to Ireland to visit her father's side of the family, and that Blue was, if possible, even more bored than Yellow. Her older sister Lapis was poor company, hiding away in her room listening to the Wyrd Sisters on her vinyl player and painting.

The moment suitcases were unpacked and her mother was holed away in her office contacting the ministry for an update of what she had missed while on their retreat, Yellow climbed through her window and made the risky leap over to the small balcony connecting to Blue's bedroom. She spied Blue sat at her desk working on a summer assignment and tapped on the glass, grinning as Blue sprung up from her seat to throw the windows open.

“Yellow!” She pulled Yellow into a hug, and then tugged her through the open window. Yellow flopped down on the window seat. “I didn't know you were coming back today! I figured I'd just see you at the train station or something.”

“Nah, there's no way my mother could stay away from the ministry for a whole summer,” Yellow joked, scooting over a little to make room for Blue. “How have you been? You sounded miserable in your letter.”

“It's been so dull,” groaned Blue. “Pearl's in Cork, you were in Minsk, and Lapis is now over Wyrd Sisters and is neck deep in muggle grunge music. I'm so bored I'm actually ahead with my summer homework! I've been studying for fun!”

“Now  _ that's _ serious.”

“It is!” Blue rested her head against Yellow's tiredly. “And this summer heat is making me sleepy. How was your summer?”

“Pretty good. Apparently in Belarus they still play Quidditch on whole fucking tree trunks, so I tried it out. Really fun, but also really hard to steer. I feel like I could even man a firebolt after dealing with those things.”

Blue giggled.

“You should try out for the team. Didn't your mother give you a firebolt last Christmas?”

“Yup. But if you think for one second I can stand being on a Quidditch team with Jasper Burakgazi, you're out of your damn mind. It's bad enough having to listen to her barking orders in the common room, you think I can handle whole quidditch practices with her too?”

“Valid. Ah well. Maybe you could take me and Pearl out for a ride some time,” Blue sighed happily. “We're both hopeless on broomsticks.”

“I'm sure you wouldn't be if you actually practised,” teased Yellow.

“Pshh. No time for it,” Blue dismissed.

“Even with how bored you are?”

“Even with how bored I am.”

Yellow turned a little so their cheeks were smushed together, and couldn't fight back her giggle as their noses touched.

“Come on then. Let me take you out for a ride.”

 

…

 

The moment that they took off, Yellow knew she was going to be distracted. Blue was holding onto her for support, as was custom for the passenger rider, but the problem was that Blue's touch, after going a few weeks without, felt like velvet, or cool water, or chocolate pudding. Electrifying and comforting and so much better than she'd ever remembered it feeling. What exactly had changed?

She recalled the adventures of her summer and Blue listened patiently, content to let Yellow do the talking as they flew beneath grey clouds. While a more pleasant day would have made things even more scenic, she couldn't deny that the view was breathtaking as they fought against the winds, hanging high above the tallest oak trees and hills.

Yellow felt her heartbeat quicken as Blue's arms tightened around her, holding her waist snugly. It made her feel more secure somehow, even though Blue was the one using her as a lifeline, holding her in place as they swooped down over the moors.

“So, easier to ride than an entire tree trunk?” Blue remarked, resting her chin against Yellow's shoulder.

“Oh, definitely,” Yellow agreed, feeling her cheeks heat up a little. Blue scooted up a little closer, small chest pressing up against Yellow's back, and for a moment Yellow swore she saw stars. “It's – it's, uh...”

“Yellow? Yellow, we're going down. Yellow!”

Blue tugged on her urgently, and Yellow realised in her few moments of dizzying  _ I can feel her boobs against my back oh fuck I'm queer  _ they had started to plummet downwards, towards a muddy looking pond between the fields. She pulled up jerkily and the tail end of her broom sprayed in the mud, dappling Blue's tights with speckles of mud. She squeaked and hugged Yellow tighter as they soared upwards once more, the broom righting itself once they were at the height of a nearby oak tree.

“Are you okay? We almost crashed there,” Blue joked shakily.

“S-Sorry!” Yellow stuttered, craning her neck to peer at her worriedly. “I didn't mean to freak you out. I just got sidetracked for a second there.”

“Okay? Are you feeling all right? Maybe we should take a break.”

As she held onto Yellow a little tighter, and Yellow once again felt the warmth of Blue's body pressed to hers, she nodded and managed weakly, “Yeah, maybe.”

They flew back to the house in awkward silence, Yellow's mind ticking with how good it felt to be held in Blue's arms while Blue fought back voicing her concern over Yellow's strange behaviour, and they crept back into Blue's home, parking the firebolt in the garden outside to avoid trekking mud through the house.

“Blair, is that you?” her mother's voice, reedy and quiet, yet still commanding, called through the hallway. Blue stiffened, exchanging a glance with Yellow, before tiptoeing into her mother's library.

“Yes. I brought Yell- I brought Yelena too. She and Ms Novik returned home today. We went out for a ride on Yelena's broomstick.”

For whatever reason, Yellow hated it when Blue used her real name. It felt wrong on her tongue. For everyone else, it was commonplace, but for Blue and Pearl, it had always been 'Yellow'. There had never been any dispute about it. But, her own mother had been reprimanding her for using Blue's nickname from the time they had started at Hogwarts, calling it childish to hold up silly nicknames when they were grown ladies now. Just another small thing of many that their mothers didn't understand about them.

“How quaint. I shall visit my dear friend then. We have a lot to catch up on.” Ms Bermet paused. “Tell Yelena she may spend the night. You have been a very good girl this summer, studying for your upcoming year. I'm sure one night off couldn't hurt.”

Blue nodded meekly, and shut the door behind her, letting out a small huff of relief that the conversation had been short. She met Yellow's eyes and smiled.

“Want to stay the night?”

“Please,” groaned Yellow, as they started up the creaky staircase up to Blue's bedroom. “I can't bear a night alone with my mother right now, having shared a room with her the whole summer.”

 

…

 

It was a little cramped, the two of them squeezed into Blue's bed, but Yellow could hardly complain since it meant being close to her. Her mind was still reeling from just how good it had felt being held by Blue on the broomstick earlier.

_ So I really am queer then, _ she mused as Blue dimmed the light. The room was cool, even in the warm August climate, and Yellow stretched out with a yawn. Their mothers were downstairs in Ms Bermet's library, drinking and discussing their summers, the times where they would leave everything well alone and Yellow felt like she could really breathe.

“Are you sure you're okay?” Blue asked her softly, rolling over so they were facing one another. Yellow quirked an eyebrow.

“What do you mean?”

“You were being strange when we were flying,” Blue said with a little grin, reaching over to fix Yellow's parting, her hair already ruffled from lying down. “I would put it down to jet lag, but it's only a two hour time difference and you floo'd back, so I don't think that's it.”

“What, I can't be airheaded sometimes?” Yellow huffed, sticking her tongue out. “Just because you know me as this cool, sophisticated person...”

“Oh, that's not the Yellow I know,” ribbed Blue. “Cool, sophisticated? You're the furthest from it. But only I know that.”

Yellow wriggled a little closer, pulling Blue into a hug.

“I missed you,” she mumbled. “It was lonely over there.”

“It's been lonely here too, since you and Pearl have both been gone. I'm sure her summer was miserable too.”

“Poor Pearly-girl. I wonder if she got to meet her father? I'm curious about the guy who gave her all that compassion and sweetness. I  _ know _ she didn't get it from her mother.”

“Yellow!” giggled Blue, clapping a hand over her mouth to try and hide her giggles. “I don't think Ms Bisera would like to hear that. She prides herself on her sickly sweet facade.”

“The woman has no empathy,” deadpanned Yellow. “I'm not gonna sugar coat it. The moment Pearl's dad figured that much out he bailed, right? It's just a shame he didn't take Pearl with him.”

Blue sighed. “I guess. But then we wouldn't have met her, so...”

“Sure we would have. She would have marched right into Hogwarts with a smile on her face, no being held back with a broken leg because her mother forced her to take ballet. She'd be in all our classes, she'd sneak into our dorms at night...”

“It's best not to think about it,” Blue sighed. “Can't change the past.”

“Yeah.” Yellow hummed. “I mean, who knows. He could be a complete deadbeat. But I still think she'd be better off than here.” She was silent for a few moments, before her face split into a huge grin. “Besides... Pearl with a Cork accent...”

Blue started to laugh. “Oh man! I think you underestimate just how much I would love that. She'd sound so cute.”

“Maybe she'll have a trace of one when she comes back.”

“It's possible! You had a very slight lilt to your voice that I'm guessing you picked up from your relatives.”

“Dziakuj,” Yellow cooed, grinning as Blue stared at her blankly.  _ Man, _ she was getting much too flustered being in such close proximity to Blue. She rolled back over again and muttered, “That means thank you in Belarusian.”

“Oh.” Blue knocked her head back against Yellow’s. “Are you sulking because I didn't understand you? You should know how bad I am at picking up other languages.”

“I'm not sulking,” Yellow promised. “Just tired.”

“Well, okay…”

The two lay with their backs barely touching, both feeling strangely flustered being so close, both missing the others embrace.

_ Well,  _ Yellow deduced,  _ it's only for one night. Tomorrow things will go back to normal. _

 

…

 

Well, Yellow was screwed, it seemed.

No amount of brusqueness could seem to keep her from feeling giddy in Blue’s presence, in a way that she hadn’t used to feel. She wasn’t sure where it had started, but that broomstick ride had certainly triggered the awareness within her that she felt  _ something _ for Blue, something that far surpassed the friendship they had held onto for over a decade now. And, weirdly enough, it got her thinking more about Pearl. It had always been the three of them; she could count the formative memories she had of her childhood without Pearl in it on one hand, and they had been thick as thieves for the longest time. If she was feeling something for Blue, where exactly did that leave Pearl? And did she want to leave Pearl anywhere at all?

It was confusing, so she decided to write to her.

_ Hey, Pearly-girl. We miss you. We hope whatever you’re doing in Cork, it’s not TOO abysmal. Blue’s been bored out of her mind with you and me both gone. Lapis just spends all day listening to muggle grunge music, which I’m sure you will hate. We’ve been spending the last few days exploring the moors on my firebolt because the weather has been holding up. When you come home, meet us in the fields behind the village. I’ll take you for a spin at the first chance I get. -Yellow. _

She wasn’t expecting a response straight away, but it didn’t matter; Pearl showed up just three days later, running through the winding dirt paths in between fields in a sunhat and summer dress that had clearly been picked out by Ms Bisera, the whites and baby blues getting mottled with brambles and blackberry stains as she shimmied in between wild bushes on each side. When she spotted them in the sky, she waved her hands, beginning to call for them.

“Yellow! Blue!! I’m here!”

With a grin, Blue disjointedly jerked the broom downwards, sending them into a near spiral plummeting towards the ground, and Pearl, at an alarming rate. She let out a short scream and ducked as the firebolt skimmed over her head, and Yellow was flung across the field. A rusty long-forgotten trough broke her fall, and she winced as she lay against it, winded. Yup, she was definitely going to feel that in the morning.

“A-Are you all right?!” fretted Pearl, pushing herself ungracefully to her feet and rushing over to pick Yellow up. Blue, having finally regained control of the broom, landed awkwardly, pedalling her feet for a few steps across the ground before halting.

“I’ll live,” groaned Yellow. When she opened her eyes, Pearl hovered over her worriedly, chewing on her lower lip, the front of her summer dress dipping downwards slightly enough to reveal the barest top of her white bra beneath the bodice. Yellow felt her face heat up a little, and she swallowed.

“Goodness,” Pearl exhaled, helping Yellow sit up. “Why on Earth was Blue piloting the broom? She’s terrible at it!”

“Hey!” Blue abandoned the firebolt to kneel beside Yellow, shooting Pearl a mock-hurt look. “I’m improving! Yellow was teaching me how to fly it, anyway, I just… got distracted.”

“Really. I know I’m… irresistible,” Pearl began, trying to play it off for laughs but merely sounding awkward, “But there was no need to make an emergency landing.”

“You’re irresistible enough that I would risk my life and Yellow’s just to hug you sooner,” Blue deadpanned, before throwing her arms around Pearl, knocking her to the ground beside Yellow as Pearl let out an undignified squeal of surprise.

Blue shuddered with giggles as Pearl flailed for a few moments, before settling down to hug Blue back. She rolled her head over to exchange exasperated looks with Yellow, and Yellow noted, a little light-headed still, that she’d darkened her eyelashes. When had she started doing that? Was it something Rose had put into her head? Was it something she’d picked up in Cork, or something she’d decided completely by herself, a small decision that Yellow was scrambling her brains to analyse, to find a reason for? And why did she care, anyway?

Well, because it made her look very pretty, she supposed.

Unable to cope with this new revelation, Yellow’s thought process just about stopped altogether as Pearl reached over to take her hand.

“I missed you both,” she said, a dopey smile on her face. “Ireland was beautiful, but I would have much sooner been here with you both. Oh, you’re lucky your family owl was fast enough to reach me in time! We were just packing when your letter arrived.”

As she and Blue began to discuss their respective summers, Yellow zoned out a little, staring upwards at the brilliant blue sky overhead, dappled with wispy clouds. Even a shithole like England had its gems, days like this where everything was crisp and gorgeous and new.

At some point, they stood again, and Pearl offered up her hand. As she pulled Yellow to her feet, something became painfully obvious: Pearl had had a growth spurt over summer.

“Oh!” Blue gasped. “Pearl, you’ve shot up! You’re taller than Yellow now!”

Pearl grinned a little shyly. “Yeah. I knew I’d grown a little, but this is a surprise.”

“B-But I’ve always been the tallest!” Yellow cried indignantly. She stood on her tiptoes, close enough to Pearl that their noses could touch, and pursed her lips in frustration, trying to fluff up her hair in an attempt for it to add a few extra centimetres. Blue began to giggle, and even Pearl was seeing the funny side of it.

“Why does it matter? I never pegged you as the type for a Napoleon complex.”

“I did,” whispered Blue, her smile widening.

“Oh, piss off,” muttered Yellow, sending them both into more giggles. She huffed, trying to fix her hair, and risked a glance over to where Blue and Pearl were now stood, arms wrapped around each other, beside themselves with laughter. Her heartbeat quickened.

_ Oh geez,  _ she thought to herself in exasperation.  _ I like both of them. _

**Author's Note:**

> The whole reason I wrote this particular story was because in Now We're Only Falling Apart Pearl is officially the tallest in the flashbacks and I thought Yellow would be petty about that.


End file.
